This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Applications No. 2000-195150, filed Jun. 28, 2000; and No. 2001-133494, Apr. 27, 2001, the entire contents of both of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a refrigerating apparatus for use in vehicles that starts and stops repeatedly and frequently, like home-delivery vans.
2. Description of the Related Art
An example of a refrigerating apparatus for use in refrigerating cars is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application No. 11-85993. This refrigerating apparatus comprises a compressor and a storage battery. The compressor is driven by power generated by a generator driven by the engine on vehicles, power externally supplied from a commercial power supply, or power supplied from the storage battery.
The compressor is driven by the output of the generator while the car is running and the refrigerating apparatus is operating in the normal refrigeration mode. The compressor is driven by the power externally supplied from the commercial power supply, while the car remains stopped and the refrigerating apparatus is operating in the preliminary cooling mode (i.e., standby mode) to cool the interior of the refrigerating chamber. The compressor is driven by the power supplied from the storage battery, while the car is temporarily stopped during delivery service and the refrigerating apparatus operates in the temporal refrigeration mode (i.e., idling-stop mode).
If such a refrigerating apparatus for use in vehicles is provided in a refrigerating car that starts and stops repeatedly and frequently, like home-delivery vans, the following problems will arise.
The user (i.e., driver) must manually operate the refrigerating apparatus in the temporal refrigeration mode (i.e., idling-stop mode) while in the temporary refrigeration mode (i.e., idling-stop mode). The manual operation is performed each time the engine is stopped. To perform this operation is therefore cumbersome and greatly troublesome for the user. If the user leaves the car without carrying out this manual operation, the refrigerating apparatus will not be operated in the temporal refrigeration mode. In this case, the temperature in the refrigerating chamber will inevitably rise.
The present invention has bee made in consideration of the foregoing. An object of the invention is to provide a refrigerating apparatus which can appropriately operate at all times, not being influenced by the conditions in which the vehicle incorporating it is driven and or imposing much labor on the driver of the vehicle, and which excels in reliability, not causing troubles such as a temperature rise in the refrigerating chamber.
A refrigerating apparatus according to the invention is designed for use in vehicles that use an engine as power source. The refrigerating apparatus comprises:
a refrigerating cycle having a compressor, a condenser and an evaporator, in which refrigerant discharged from the compressor is circulated through the condenser and the evaporator;
a generator which is driven by the engine;
a storage battery unit which is recharged with an output of the generator;
an inverter which converts electric power supplied from the generator or the storage battery unit, to power for driving the compressor; and
a controller which has first control means for supplying the output of the generator to the inverter, second control means for supplying power from the storage battery unit to the inverter, third control means for supplying the output of the generator to the inverter and supplying power from the storage battery unit to the inverter when no power is thereafter available from the generator, and fourth control means for selectively controlling these control means.